Guest guest Posted December 5, 2005 Report Share Posted December 5, 2005 While you are at it on a dress code, please do not overlook the fact that many males seem to find it equally convenient to dress in a revealing manner as well. They wear thin see through dhotis which reveal a lot more then some of the ladies you have described. In addition, it seems that a lot of the men are "loosing their caste" by dressing as muslims (wearing lunghis). After seeing a few westerners begin to favor that style of dress, Srila Prabhupada directly denounced the practice by stating that only sannyasis or Muslims wear lunghis As for an answer to your orthodox brother's question, you replied that they were "out of whack". Since when does coming to the temple qualify someone as being "out of whack?" You may not appreciate their style of apparel, but at least one could appreciate that they have come to the temple rather then any other number of places available for sense gratification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 In a message dated 12/5/2005 10:40:37 AM Central Standard Time, Malati.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes: As for an answer to your orthodox brother's question, you replied that they were "out of whack". Since when does coming to the temple qualify someone as being "out of whack?" You may not appreciate their style of apparel, but at least one could appreciate that they have come to the temple rather then any other number of places available for sense gratification. Malati, What you say is true about the men and regarding the above. But you didn't share your your feelings about the issue of dress he brought up. What do you think? Did Prabhupada say anything. This issue came up in San Diego and what I remember was that Prabhupada said a women's stomach can be showm because it is not sexually agitating (my memory is fading so I could be wrong). But even if he did say this, many men will be agitated by seeing that part of a woman's body. Of course with devotee men we can always say, well, you shouldn't be looking. But we can't say that to guests. Your servant, Mahatma das. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 In a message dated 12/5/2005 2:20:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, Mahatma.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes: What you say is true about the men and regarding the above. But you didn't share your your feelings about the issue of dress he brought up. What do you think? I think that each individual member of the Hare Krishna movement needs to come to the realization that serving Krishna can be best done through following the instructions and indications of Srila Prabhupada*. Therefore, it might be said that more modest styles of dress would be more appropriate and in line with his mood. I'd even say the same about dance styles (which sometimes border on burlesque )! But, in the end, I am glad 'they' are there, whoever "they" are! There are a lot more who do not even bother to come to the temple at all and for me, that is more sad then what a particular style of dress may or may not appear to be. * BTW: I had personal experiences when in his service where he indicated particular forms of dress were not appropriate. In this respect, I tend to lean towards the moderate side of tradition, but I cannot hold it against our young people for expressing themselves in a livelier fashionl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 > > > In a message dated 12/5/2005 2:20:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > Mahatma.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes: > > What you say is true about the men and regarding the above. But you > didn't share your your feelings about the issue of dress he brought up. > What do you > > think? > > > I think that each individual member of the Hare Krishna movement needs to > come to the realization that serving Krishna can be best done through > following > the instructions and indications of Srila Prabhupada*. Therefore, it > might be said that more modest styles of dress would be more appropriate > and in line > > with his mood. I'd even say the same about dance styles (which sometimes > border on burlesque )! But, in the end, I am glad 'they' are there, > whoever "they" are! There are a lot more who do not even bother to come > to the temple > > at all and for me, that is more sad then what a particular style of > dress may or may not appear to be. > > * BTW: I had personal experiences when in his service where he indicated > particular forms of dress were not appropriate. In this respect, I tend > to lean > towards the moderate side of tradition, but I cannot hold it against our > young people for expressing themselves in a livelier fashionl Mother Malati points are well taken. We are always happy to see devotees in the temple. My point would be to explain to the young girls, in such a way as not to discourage them from coming, that it would be more appropriate if the did in fact dress in a more modest way for the pleasure of the Deity. It doesn't seem to me to be so difficult an assignment for someone of the ladies to make this point in a nice way. We are not saying that they can't be "lively", but just that they should be modest in their dress as per Srila Prabhupada's indications. Ys TS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Srila Prabhupada on "uncivilized dress": "Pur™rav€ replied: O beautiful one, your beauty is wonderful and your gestures are also wonderful. Indeed, you are attractive to all human society. Therefore, since you have come of your own accord from the heavenly planets, who on earth would not agree to serve a demigoddess such as you." PURPORT "It appears from the words of Urva… that the standard of living, eating, behavior and speech are all different on the heavenly planets from the standards on this planet earth. The inhabitants of the heavenly planets do not eat such abominable things as meat and eggs; everything they eat is prepared in clarified butter. Nor do they like to see either men or women naked, except at the time of sexual intercourse. To live naked or almost naked is uncivilized, but on this planet earth it has now become fashionable to dress half naked, and sometimes those like hippies live completely naked. Indeed, there are many clubs and societies for this purpose. Such conduct is not allowed, however, on the heavenly planets. The inhabitants of the heavenly planets, aside from being very beautiful, both in complexion and bodily features, are well behaved and long-living, and they eat first-class food in goodness. These are some of the distinctions between the inhabitants of the heavenly planets and the inhabitants of earth." SB 9.14.24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 > Mother Malati points are well taken. We are always happy to see devotees > in the temple. My point would be to explain to the young girls, in such a > way as not to discourage them from coming, that it would be more > appropriate if the did in fact dress in a more modest way for the pleasure > of the Deity. It doesn't seem to me to be so difficult an assignment for > someone of the ladies to make this point in a nice way. We are not saying > that they can't be "lively", but just that they should be modest in their > dress as per Srila Prabhupada's indications. I remember in Vrindavana in 1975 some of the brahmacaris walking around in lungis and Srila Prabhupada complained. Although I will say that lungis are not exclusively Muslim/ sannyasi dress. In S. India everyone wears lungis so its difficult to fault a devotee from S. India for wearing one when that is the tradition down there. As for ladies dressing modestly, there are many churches that require this for entry. I went to the cathedral in Milano with my wife and daughter and I saw that any women trying to enter with short dresses or shorts were politely taken to the side and given a long skirt to wrap around them before entering. The simply fact is that today's fashion are pretty extreme, especially the one where the jeans are so low cut they leave nothing to the imagination. Even karmi parents are complaining about it. I have seen even here in India now it is becoming a problem because practically no young women wear saris anymore. They are all mad after western fashions and the media is full of propaganda for the "sexual liberation" of women. We should not allow grossly sensual styles of dressing in front of the Deities and it would be a simple matter for temple managers to keep some stock of long wrap-around skirts at the entrance with a trained lady devotee to hand them out where necessary. It will keep the decorum and help to lessen the agitation for any resident brahmacaris/ sannyasis without being fanatic about the issue. Your humble servant, Hari-sauri dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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